Polls show Paul Ryan favored to win the debate

By Lara Seligman

October 11, 2012

Rep. Paul Ryan is favored to win the vice presidential debate against Joe Biden by slim margins, according to two new polls.

A plurality of voters in Colorado, Virginia and Wisconsin expect Ryan to win the debate, according to a NYT/CBS/Quinnipiac poll, while a new Pew survey found voters nationally divided on who would perform better, with Ryan narrowly leading Biden 40 percent to 34 percent.

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Preibus tried to play down expectations for Ryan's performance ahead of the debate on Thursday.

"It's a nervous situation... this is [Ryan's] first time. Joe Biden's been doing this since the 1800s," Priebus said on CNN's Starting Point.